If it is deleted, there will be virtually no record of this four year hunk of my life. Peeps...please go to the site and chime in on the discussion if you feel this is a hidden corner of West Virginia's history that deserves a little light!

I didn't see any problem with any of the information included. Could it have external links? That would be a plus. Could it be a little better formatted/written? Sure, but it gets the point across the way it is. Everything looked good to me, so I don't see why anyone would want it off. I did fill out the "rating" areas and selected "It is part of my profession" as the basis for my knowledge on the subject (seeing as how WTCS was an affiliate)...

I have Aspergers, which is a high-functioning form of Autism. If I react to a comment in an "odd" way or make an "odd" joke, just chalk it up to my Aspergers. I try to keep that in check, so you won't be bothered too much by it.

I can normally be found editing radio station and television station pages, cleaning up vandalism and helping other users. I also have been working on my pet project for over two years, taking it from a Class B to Good Article status in May 2010 and Featured Article status in August 2010 and a Today's Featured Article in September 2010. I have branched out my editing into other areas, by working on the Frank Buckles article (the last living World War I veteran who passed away on February 27, 2011), which was taken to Good Article status in March 2011, then to A-Class status in April 2011.
If you need anything, please feel free to message me.

I don't think John Raese or any of his henchmen would go to this level to create a fake entity to erase your Mountainet page. His complaint appears to be, as is with most Wikinazi's out there, you've based an online "encyclopedia" entry entirely on uncitable sources. You told a story, as you remember it, with no way to officially back it up.

That said, it doesn't make your story wrong or worthless, nor does it mean your page needs deleted. I think you did a great job. I totally expected a WVRC deathrant when you first posted, and it wasn't.

So... now... as a collective group here at the forum... how do we establish some sort of credibility to Joel's page? Jeff Miller *MIGHT* be a good starting point. Anyone else have any suggestions?

The only name I could suggest is Jeff MIller. I'm not intimately familiar with the Wikipedia submission criteria, but Joel was part of the Mountainet operation when it started and he lived the entire experience first-hand. What he submitted isn't a 23rd generation folk story. He was there. That ought to count for something. Is there any way he could be credited for that first-hand knowledge?

Tom Taggart wrote:Most of the material may not be "on-line" but I would assume there is a story or two in some of the larger newspapers in the state from that era.

Sunday Gazette-Mail columnist Fanny Seiler told a lot of the narrative in the months leading up to Mountainet, and to the efforts by Raese and his toady Dale Miller to destroy us (at first leading us to believe he was wanting to be an investor, and our financial savior), after the 1984 Senate loss to Rockefeller. I was also a Gazette columnist after I left Mountainet, and I devoted one of my weekly columns to its near-demise, which my former boss Paul Rose took exception to (in particular, he didn't like me calling it a "fledgling" network, four years after its inception).

Thanks for the complements on how I fashioned the Wikipedia article! I put my emotions and opinions in check, and attempted to use my best unbiased reporting skills to just tell the basic facts, hoping that others would add their recollections and perspectives, and that those with better knowledge of computer code could "wikify" the entry.

Hoosier Daddy wrote:The only name I could suggest is Jeff MIller. I'm not intimately familiar with the Wikipedia submission criteria, but Joel was part of the Mountainet operation when it started and he lived the entire experience first-hand. What he submitted isn't a 23rd generation folk story. He was there. That ought to count for something. Is there any way he could be credited for that first-hand knowledge?

I've asked Jeff to consult with his old WJLS cohort Bill O'Brien, and with Bob Cannon if he's still around somewhere. They were there at the beginning, and were our constant cheerleaders through the entire experience.

ok...here is "advice" i just got from the guy who is challenging the worth of the Wikipedia entry:

I am going to give you a few tips that would help keep this page here on Wikipedia.

First off, the page needs as many third-party reliable sources as possible. Can't say that enough.

Speaking to someone at a newspaper or some guy who worked for the network doesn't help, because this is considered original research. The information needs to come from a website for a newspaper or radio or television network.

Don't quote blogs as these are written with information that could be copied from God only knows where or just gotten from "some guy", this isn't verifiable. It has to be reliable, like the Charleston Gazette or the Dominion Post or WOWK-TV or WSAZ-TV. You can take information from nationally known magazines as well, as long as they have a link to the article online (it helps, trust me).

Try not to write something as if it was an advertisment. This is severely frowned upon and is covered under WP:ADVERT as well.

Most importantly, it has to meet the General notability guideline. If it doesn't, it is out. Think of it like this: some guy's garage band with 6 fans wouldn't pass the GNG, but Linkin Park or Frank Sinatra, they pass the GNG. Think of it that way.

If you have any questions, you can find me at my talk page. - Neutralhomer • Talk • 00:47, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

Since the initial message, the guy suggested that I go to the Gazette archives or the Charleston library and look up sources on microfilm. But, I really don't have the time to do this (who would?), and my own ego is not sufficient reason to make the effort. Is there some way Jeff can put together research that could have the footnotes they're looking for?

In the meantime, I will resign myself to the fact that this entry will be gone in a matter of days. I have saved the text to my computer, but Mountainet will apparently no longer exist anywhere in cyberspace, only in our memories!

Latest update from my end: I emailed the executive director of the WVBA about whether its newsletters are archived. This could both give source material that Mountainet really did exist, and provide general historical perspective for Jeff and other researchers.

Keep at it, Joel ... at least as much as you are able. I remember Mountainet and I can sense the pride in your writing when you talk about what all of you did in that organization. Wish I had some references to contribute to help out ...

"The network also employed a fulltime reporter at the state capital of Charleston, Nancy Hill (later known professionally as Nancy Bulla) and administrative coordinator Diane Cary. Sportscasts were initially voiced by Browning."
citation: http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func= ... ryid=91396

"The network also employed a fulltime reporter at the state capital of Charleston, Nancy Hill (later known professionally as Nancy Bulla) and administrative coordinator Diane Cary. Sportscasts were initially voiced by Browning."
citation: http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func= ... ryid=91396

Great! and THANKS!!! now, can you go to the page and put the citation on there? I have no clue on how to do that!